Convertible spoon and fork



Sept. 24, 1940.

"ML. GOLDSTEIN CONVERTIBLE SPOON AND FQRK Filed May 18, 1939 INVENTQR. 111s Adam/stem, BY /8 W A ORNEY.

Patented Sept. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES 2,216,005 CONVERTIBLE SPOONAND FORK Morris Louis Gcldstein, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application May 18, 1939, Serial No. 274,375

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to culinary implements in the nature of spoons and forks and particularly those of hard pressed paper or fiber.

Special objects of the invention are to provide a single article, which may be used in the regular way as a spoon and which, if desired, may be immediately converted into a fully practical form of fork.

Other objects. of the invention and the novel v features of construction by which all objects of scope of the invention as will be apparent from the following description and claim.

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a fiber spoon incorporating features of the invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are longitudinal and transverse sections respectively as on lines 2-2 and 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is abroken plan illustrating conversion of the spoon bowl into the fork formation.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified construction and Fig. 6 is a broken plan showing this embodiment converted from the spoon to the fork formation. Fig. '7 is a plan view of another form of the invention.

Figs. 8 and 9 are longitudinal and transverse sectional views as on lines 8-8 and 9-9 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a broken plan view illustrating conversion of the last mentioned form from spoon to fork formation.

In Figs. 1 to 4, there is shown a pressed paper or so-called'fiber spoon having connected and integrally formed bowl and handle portions ll, [2. These may be of more or less standard, approved shape and size, the illustration to be considered as typical.

The bowl of the spoon is of novel construction in that while of full and complete bowl formation and hence adapted to all ordinary usage for spoon purposes, it has indented; perforated, partly perforated or otherwise weakened convergent V-shaped lines it, extendedinward into the tip 50 end of the same to form a readily removable segment Hi, which will leave pointed fork tips or tines l5.

The lines of weakness [3, may be provided at any time, either during or after complete forma- 55 tion of the spoon and in various different ways.

The structure may be further modified, within the Usually, it is sufiicient to outline the readily removable breakout section by lines of spaced in.- cisions or perforations, such as indicated. This can be readily accomplished in a punch press after completion of the pressed spoon. Y

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a form of construction in which three tines I5, are provided by W-- shaped lines of weakness |3a,,' with the intermediate lines extending clear to the tip of thebowl, so that there will be two separate break-out 10 pieces Ma, and so that the central time or prong will have the full length of the original spoon bowl.

Figs. 7 to 10 illustrate a further modification in which the lines of weakness or cleavage are of W outline, but in which the central lines do not extend clear to the tip of the bowl, thus to leave a single break-out section Nb, instead of two separate pieces and to leave the central tine of substantially the same length as the side tines.

The lines of weakness may be perforations or cuts which extend only partly and not entirely through the fiber or the fibrous material may be so compressed in the cuts that therewill be no leakage when the article is used as a spoon. With the weakened lines arranged on sharply defined angles as indicated, the removable sections will readily break out and these leave prongs pointed to a desirable sharpness. If desired, embossments orridges l6, may be pressed in the bowl in line with the tine outlines as indicated in Figs. 1 and '7, so as to stifienthe bowl against deformation when the removable section is taken out and so as to hold the tines in shape when the article is being used as a fork.

The handle may be reinforced as by ridging or channeling, such as illustrated and such reinforcement may be efiected by ridging or bossing the structure upwardly or outwardly as indicated at ll, Figs. 1 and 5, or by bossing the material 40 downwardly in a channel as indicated at l8, Figs. 7 and 8. 4 v i The perforations, cuts or lines of weakness define or outline a notch or notches to be formed in the tip of the spoon bowl upon removal of the 4 material so outlined.

While two or three tines are usually sufiicient for fork use, it will be evident that the break-out portion or portions may be of such shape as to produce only a single tine or more than the three I tines mentioned. The lines of spaced perforations, cuts, or incisions extend convergently from the tip into the body of the bowl and such angle of convergence may vary. While ordinarily 5 What is claimed is:

As a new article of manufacture, a fiber spoon having a bowl of hard, rigid, brittle material and said spoon bowl having an impression in the tip of the bowl outlining one or more sharp pointed fork tines and weakening the end portion of the bowl in a shape which may be readily broken out of the brittle bowl material to leave the end of the spoon bowl in the form of a sharp pointed fork.

MORRIS LOUIS GOLDSTEIN. 

